20170914

New Beauty Additions | Haul & Review

It’s
been a little while since my last round-up of the new beauty products I’ve been
trialling recently. However today I have a really good assortment together,
including a few brands and products you might not have come across before and
even a bit of skincare and haircare!

Drugstore & Affordable

3ina The Longwear Lipstick in 503* | £7.95 | I first came across this brand whilst wandering around Covent Garden and I was seriously impressed by their huge range! Everything is cruelty free, plus the products are at an affordable price-point. This is quite an unusual liquid lipstick formula, which takes quite a while to matte down fully and also sets darker than you'd think it would. It's not the most opaque formula but I think it's pretty for an everyday look. The pinky-brown nude shade is actually much deeper than it seems on first appearances. I find this virtually as comfortable as a normal lipstick but it has more staying power.

3ina The Highlighter 201* | £10.95 | I found this to be a really nice, soft highlighter. It doesn't have the smoothest texture out of the products in my collection but it's probably not fair to compare it to Becca's formula, as it's virtually 3x the price! It isn't at all glittery so just gives that lovely soft, 'lit from within' look to the skin, making it a lovely one for everyday wear. The colour is a champagne with gold undertones that's nothing overly warm so will suit a lot of skin tones.3ina The Cream Eyeshadow in 312* | £8.95 | I love a cream eyeshadow, however this silvery mauve shade isn't really what I'd have picked for myself. Formula-wise, this downs have some glitter but it's not in a bad way; it just gives a dewy, metallic sheen. I find it nice and opaque and it has a good amount of slip when applied, so it's easy to blend out, however once it sets it does have good longevity and doesn't crease.

Bershka Bronzing Powder in 03 Desert Glow* | £9.99 | I had no idea that Bershka did beauty products however I'm amazed at their vast collection! I was recently sent a box of products from them (check it all out on Instagram here) but instead of reviewing some things that I know I won't like and wouldn't have chosen, I've handpicked a selection to feature here. This is one of the highlights for me as it has such a beautiful formula that really reminds me of the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance powders. This has a soft, luminous matte finish and is super-pigmented, so be careful when you're tapping your brush into it! It blends out really nicely and evenly adding a real warmth to the skin.

Bershka Contouring Combo in 02 Medium* | £7.99 | This liquid-cream contouring duo comes in three shades and this is the middle one. The light, yellow-toned highlighting end is just a bit light to be something I use and the contouring shade is actually quite warm-toned. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - however it makes it more of a bronzing colour than a natural contour. The formula blends out nicely and evenly (I use it with a BeautyBlender) and has a true matte finish.

Bershka Cream-to-Powder Highlighter in Fang Candy* | £7.99 | I was pleasantly surprised with this blusher-highlighter; I often find that these sorts of products can be greasy and a bit glittery, however (true to name) this goes on without looking shiny and lasts really well. It's a warm peachy colour with a soft sheen that's a lovely 'blusher topper'.Bershka Maxi Volumising Mascara* | £7.99 | I was actually quite surprised that this was billed as a volumising mascara, as I'd say it's a mix of length, separation and a bit of volume. It has an interesting wand - the long, narrow shape is what you'd expect from a lengthening product, however it has a bristled brush, which I usually associate with volumising mascaras. I really like the natural, fluttery, clump-free look this gave my lashes and it lasts well without flaking or smudging on me.

Bershka Oil Absorbing Sheets* | £5.99 | I absolutely love the packaging of these blotting papers - it's such a cute little thing to have in your bag! I don't often use this kind of product to be honest, however these do a good job of soaking up any excess shine on my skin and can be used before or after makeup without messing up your look.Real Techniques Multitech Large Point Makeup Brush | £11.99 | At the time of writing, this brush collection is 1/3 off at Superdrug, making this a steal at £7.99! I'd been eyeing these up for a while so that was enough to make me pick up this one. This size is perfect for bronzer and I want to give it a go for a few other things. The point nestles perfectly into the cheekbone and the synthetic bristles apply the product nice and evenly. I really like the amount of product it picks up too; I find myself being a lot less heavy-handed with my bronzer when I use this. It's early days but this could be my new favourite bronzer brush! I'm tempted to pick up a second for blusher now...

Ardell Wispies False Lashes* | £5.49 | I was recently sent an amazing bundle of goodies from HQ Hair (check it out here on my Instagram page), and whilst a few of the products weren't really my thing, I have a bunch of them here to talk to you about! I'm a huge fan of the famed Demi Wispie lashes but hadn't actually tried the originals. They're definitely a full-on look for a night out but they do look amazing. I actually cut these down so they're 3/4 length for a more natural look and it works incredibly well to give amazing, long, fluttery lashes.

Tangle Angel Pink Brush* | £13.95 | I've tried a few products like the Wet Brush and the Tangle Teezer but this is a new one on me - and how pretty is the design?! I tend to use this on my hair when its dry to gently detangle. It's really great in the morning when you wake up and you've had your hair tied up whilst moving about in your sleep. It doesn't tug, pull or break the hair but leaves it smooth and detangled.

Invisibobble x3 in Make-Up Your Mind* | £4.99 | I'm a huge fan of the Ivisibobble so was excited to get my hands on a new colour! These hair bobbles have been a total game-changer for me as they don't pull, snag or break the hair and allow you to tie it up then take it out without ruining the style or leaving a kink. This set is in a baby pink colour.

Ghost Whitelight Diamond Dust Fragrance* | £27 | I think that Ghost scents are really underrated - they're very affordable and pretty and feminine without being overly sickly and sweet. This version comes in purple packaging and I just love the iridescent sheen of the bottle. This has a soft, almost floral warmth with some slightly fruity hints. The notes include peach, mandarin, musk, amber and rose.

Skin Republic Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Face Mask* | £5.49 | This sheet mask from the HQ Hair bundle is unlike anything I've ever used before! It looks like a typical sheet mask, however when you put it on, bubbles start to form. It's really quite an odd, but not unpleasant, experience as you can hear and feel the bubbles on your face. Unlike a normal sheet mask, you only leave this on for 10-15 minutes before removing. It's so nice and invigorating and I felt it opened up my pores and left my skin looking fresher and clearer.Wella Eimi Pearl Styler Gel* | £3.95 | I thought I'd give this a go but it really didn't work for me! It's not the kind of product I'd pick up myself anyway, so it could very well be great if you style your hair with gel (it doesn't feel overly sticky) however it just wasn't my thing.

Mid-Range

Pacifica Blushing Beauty Coconut & Rose Infused Cheek Colour in Wild Rose | £14.99 | My mum recently went on an absolute mad one in the Holland & Barrett beauty department and picked this up for me. It's a vegan, all-natural mineral blush in a pretty everyday rose-mauve tone with a soft sheen (there's enough warmth that it doesn't wash you out). It applies evenly to the skin and it's almost impossible to go overboard with this. It lasts nicely on me and doesn't have a patchy finish by the end of the day.Pixi Quick Fix Powder* | £18 | This actually comes in a pot with a little puff, however I don't use it to apply the product (I use my usual setting brush, though this can be slightly messy). It's a truly translucent powder (I'm often quite suspicious of these kinds of products as they can sometimes give me a white cast) and is very finely milled so it's pretty much traceless on the skin. It isn't caky or drying but I really like how it keeps the concealer under my eyes in place without it creasing or wearing away during the day.Pixi MultiBalm in Baby Petal* | £12 | To be honest, this wasn't real my thing; the dewy, balmy texture is more suited to dry skin than my combination complexion and the shade is just so subtle on my skin tone. It doesn't contain any glitter but does have quite a sheer texture and the colour is a light rosy pink.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lipsticks* | £9.95 each | I first came across MeMeMe at the Clothes Show absolutely years ago and I'd still say they're quite an under-the-radar brand, however I really like a few of their products. Their latest launch is this collection of liquid lipsticks; they go on like a lip cream, however set down to a totally matte finish. I must admit the shades in this range aren't entirely my thing; Suede is a pinky-brown nude, Vintage Rose a muted pink, Enchanted a vibrant fuchsia, Temptation a fiery red and Romance a rich, deep pink. Suede is the only shade that I'd personally go for - it looks light on first application but once it sets down it's kind of my perfect 'just darker than my skin' nude shade (think MAC's Velvet Teddy but a touch lighter). Although they lose that creamy texture as they dry down, they're still reasonably comfortable - this isn't even close to being the most drying formula I've come across! I was also really impressed with the longevity - they last for hours with minimal transfer.

Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation* (45 Gold) | £15 | This brand is pretty much the base makeup collection made for problem skin. The ingredients aren't aggravating (parent company Vichy is a skincare brand) and the coverage is absolutely insane. This is heavy duty but doesn't look too thick and doesn't suffocate the skin. It does an amazing job of evening out the skin tone and gives a semi-matte finish that lasts really well. I feel as though these Dermablend foundations would be counted amongst my favourites if I didn't have a bit of a tough time with the shade selection. Although this is called Gold, it just isn't warm enough for my yellow-undertoned skin for me to feel that comfortable wearing it.

Vichy Dermablend Covermatte Compact Powder Foundation* (35 Sand) | £15 | I don't really believe in the concept of a powder foundation, so I just use this to set my makeup! The shade actually works well for me in this instance, as it's less important with a powder. It isn't anything caky or heavy, but definitely has enough pigment to use as a foundation if you want to. It sets everything in place and keeps things shine-free; I was really impressed that on the days I used this, I didn't find myself reaching for the powder around lunchtime like I usually am!

Go & Ray Rouge Stick Perfect Contour Lip Pencils* | £9.90 each | I love these kinds of lip products, as they make it so quick and easy to apply the colour neatly and really define the lips. This collection comes with 3 finishes: Matte, Sheer and Glossy. I actually really like this Matte formula; the shades glide on so smoothly and silkily but have completely opaque colour payoff whilst at the same time, giving a totally matte finish that lasts incredibly well. The Sheer formula is a light, everyday wash of colour but is still nicely pigmented and of course very comfortable to wear. The Glossy finish still has full opacity and bold colours but these shades have a sheen that makes them nice and moisturising (though they do transfer a little bit).

A lot of these colours aren't really my thing but there are one or two that I really love. The Matte shades I have are Rosy Cedar (a light cool pink), Wood Fire (a reddish-brown that I really like) and Black Corydalis (a deep but vibrant blackcurrant). The Sheer shades are Dreaming (a light pink nude), Viola Viola (another light pink nude, though slightly more muted - I really don't know why they need 3 such similar shades in this collection, though!) and Love Message (a warm coral that leans towards the pink side - this is one of my favourites). Finally there are the Glossy colours: True Fuchsia (as the name would suggest; a super-pigmented hot pink), Poison Chanson (a pinky red cheery tone, which again has amazing colour payoff) and Regal Tulip (this is very similar to Love Message for me, though it has more of an orange tone, but I do still like this one a lot).

First Aid Beauty Caffeine Matcha Wakeup Wipes* | £12 | These are definitely pricey for face wipes, however I love this brand. I was slightly confused by these as, unless in dire circumstances, I would always do a proper face wash in the morning with a cleanser and water. However these seem to be geared more at that than removing makeup. I did try them for makeup removal and they're pretty effective, not stinging my eyes or anything like that, but for the price and how infrequently I use them I do think there are more affordable options out there. They do have a nice, invigorating feel on the skin though and actually leave it feeling soft, so I think I'll save these for festivals or when I'm flying and just want to freshen up a bit. Ingredients also include aloe vera and hyaluronic acid.

High-End

Cover FX Click Stick Highlighter in Golden Peach* | £15 | The concept of this is that you buy a refillable baton which can then be swapped and changed with various stick products for highlighting, concealing, correcting and so on. This stick is a pearly highlighting tone that's perfect for finishing off a peachy blusher look. It's a warm peach with a golden sheen running through it. It's quite a subtle look but it's very pretty on the skin.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold* | £33.50 (for the full size) | I've actually tried this product before and found it to be too harsh for my skin. It's a glycolic acid exfoliating toner in a very concentrated formula. I think I was possibly going through a sensitive skin phase when I first gave this a go because this time round, although I could feel a sensation, it wasn't irritating my skin or leaving any redness. I'd still say it's stronger and contains fewer soothing ingredients in comparison to my Pixi Glow Tonic, so it's a 'once a week' product to me, however I have been impressed with the results. It does a good job of evening out the texture and tone of my skin, as well as leaving it looking brighter and fresher by removing dead skin cells.

R + Co Dallas Thickening Spray* | £13.50 (travel size) | I'd actually never tried this brand before, though the packaging was really familiar to me. You spritz this in your damp hair right before blow-drying in order to add some volume to your hair. It actually really works! It didn't leave my hair sticky or clumped together or anything like that but I felt as though it had a lot more volume and body.

I'm so surprised about the Bershka beauty range! I'd never seen it advertised anywhere or on blogs before. The bronzing powder sounds really good. The hair thickening spray sounds interesting too, I wonder if it'd work on my hair. I'm always cautious with hair sprays and all that because my hair is thin and curly, but I'd like to give this a go!